Alone in a Crowd
by destinyTail0
Summary: The boy knew. Being alone in a crowd is the worst feeling in the world.


Dedicated to Monty Oum

Music: Porter Robinson - Goodbye To A World

* * *

Silence.

That's what the boy named Jaune Arc hears.

Part of team Juniper, led by his partner, Pyrrha Nikos. With his other two teammates, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, the two lovebirds made in heaven.

His feet shuffled on muffled carpet, looking down at his black dress shoes.

He didn't want to be in the dorm with his team in there when they woke up. He's been putting on his school uniform and waited outside in the hallway ever since...

He's forgotten when he did this whole 'waiting in the morning for his team for breakfast' thing.

The boy felt in his hands the big old red scarf he's kept since ever. It provide this warm false sense of security. Thanks Mom and Dad. You're the best.

His eye lids drooped sullen. His hands wrapped around himself.

He feels cold again. His chest felt as though it collapsed in itself. His back shuddered.

It hurts.

And he knew exactly why.

The boy let the moment pass before the chills stopped. He heaved in and out through his nose. The sound of his own breath crossed his ears.

His shoulders sagged. His back lets go of itself. The boy shook his head before straightening up. His eyes inadvertently drifting to the door on the other side of the hall...

Team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose, comprised of them, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long.

People who he had a small crush on. One at a time. One thought drifting to another person. He genuinely loved them for who they are. Small schoolyard crushes blooming from his time with each of them.

He thought he was going to have a life with each of them. The boy never learned. He never learned that love doesn't work like that. And now...

The door opened and out came the four girls he came to love. With two pairs of hands holding the other.

Ruby Rose, the little sister that reminded him of his own, lover of cookies and weapons, cute as a button, and with the energy of a small child. His first friend at Beacon Academy. And his first ever crush, when they first talked together.

Blake Belladonna, the silent beauty, advert bookworm, the mystery that keeps on becoming more mysterious, and never outspoken. His fourth crush, made from a small exchange from being alone in the library with her, sharing a love for printed adventures.

Weiss Schnee, the ice queen, the snow angel, the know it all, headstrong in her beliefs, beauty never tarnished, and a heavenly voice. His third, from the first time he met her in the locker rooms, even though it wasn't as formal as she would liked.

Yang Xiao Long, the indomitable dragon of the sun, the fiery, beautiful blond, the big sister figure for all, and a personality that's so warm. His fifth one, realizing from his experience with her during a training session, looking up at her from the hard ground.

His second? His partner, of course. Pyrrha Nikos, the invincible, perfect in everything, the leader everyone deserved, hardworking, and yet never loses a wink of sleep. The moment the boy first saw her eyes in the locker rooms with Weiss. They yelled, 'you can depend on me for anything.'

It's ridiculous really. To have this many feelings for this many girls. But... he supposed it's quite alright to have them.

Especially since they'll never be returned back.

Ruby's hand in Blake's. Weiss's in Yang's. And their smiles were as wide as Jaune's when he first met them, but now...

His smile was a small frown, stoic and only watching.

"Morning, Jaune!" Ruby chirped with vigor and a bright smile.

"Sup, Vomit Boy!" Yang held up a peace sign and a wink.

Weiss and Blake nodded at him with a meek smile, the both of them.

The boy nodded back, his frown twitching just a bit, to force a smile. The girls never noticed how unnatural it was. What else is new?

He supposed he deserved this.

Who was he to get in the way of their true love? Who was he to question their preference? Who was he to judge them for who they loved? Who is he to have feelings for those girls at the same time? Divine retribution. A proper answer.

It didn't stop the boy's chest from aching from the sight. Jealousy? Depression? Desperation? Who knows? The boy couldn't tell them apart. They all hurt the same.

He never had a chance.

"Ready to go?" A voice spoke up from beside. The boy twitched up, his arms crossed timidly. Pyrrha with a smile befitting of a champion, along with Ren and Nora grinning like today was still the first time they've confessed to each other.

"Yep! Let's get going! I'm hungry!" Ruby held up her and Blake's hand. Blake tilted her head with adornment. She always love that smile of hers.

"They don't serve cookies, remember?" Weiss rolled her eyes with a hand to her hip, the other hand occupied with a grinning Yang's.

"They serve pancakes though!" Nora shouted with glee.

"Onwards! Pancakes, hoo!" Ruby agreed with Nora's suggestion and forged onward. The rest of the group followed, Jaune being at the very back. Like always.

It didn't help that Pyrrha, with no one to hold hands with, is up at the front of the group while he was at the back. He never really understood that. Shouldn't she be right by her partner's side? Shouldn't the boy try to?

No, of course not. Pyrrha knew what would happen if she did. For all intensive purposes, Pyrrha's answer would have been...

It's a forgone conclusion, really.

The boy was used to seeing the back of all of his friends. He's using the term "friend" very lightly. He knows they're his friends. There's history between him and them. And yet... he felt so disconnected with them. Why?

Because they were too busy with each other.

The boy could try inserting himself into their conversations. He already tried. A few times. Doesn't work, actually. He would say something with a fake smile with the hopes of being validated and in return, he gets nothing but a few words. They would all just go back to talking with each other and cuddling with their significant others. And in Pyrrha's case, she'd be busy on her scroll, ever the busy bee. Getting work done weeks ahead. Extra credit. Advanced courses. All done in a few days. The girl who can do anything, indeed.

You would think that just having the confidence to join in the conversation would help. That it's all you need to be successful with making friends. What if it wasn't enough? What if it isn't enough? What if he would never be able to be acknowledged as a true friend and merely identified as a mere associate?

There is no what if. It's actually happening to him. And yet, they fail to realize that they're slowly killing him.

But the boy doesn't mind. Staring at the back of their heads, Ruby, Blake, Yang, Weiss, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, he's just happy that they're happy with what they have right now.

While he's all alone.

There's this saying the boy's heard before.

"Being alone in a crowd of people is the worst feeling in the world."

It's not the exact phrase, but it conveys the same thing, doesn't it?

Well, there he is. With a bunch of friends. Alone as can be.

Turning his head, he saw that they were already outside, walking the way to the cafeteria.

The students. They're smiling. Even the ones he thought were always alone. The athletes. The bookworms. The cool kids. The rich kids. The silent kids. Even the normals.

They were all happy.

How surreal. It's as though Jaune's the only unhappy boy in Beacon...

It's true though. Everyone's happy with their lives. They are content with their decisions and choices. You can suppose that it really isn't an exaggeration after all.

Jaune really is the only boy with a frown in Beacon. He wonders if this will attract unwanted attention. Ozpin, possibly. You can never know what that man is thinking.

"Yo!" A loud obnoxious voice rang out.

Sun Wukong, Blake's guy friend. Jaune will admit, he's a bit of a trickster, but he's good at what he does. He does respect the monkey faunus. Especially with the fact that he has Neptune's hand in his own hand.

Neptune and Sun. An odd couple, but the boy can see that it will work out til the end of their days.

"Heading to breakfast too?" Neptune shined a smirk. "We better get going before the line gets too long."

"Agreed!" Ruby whooped.

"Yeah!" Yang hollered.

Their partners rolled their eyes. Just another reason to love them, they supposed.

The boy felt his chest drop once more, tugging on his heart strings as he watched his friends go ahead of him, not paying him a single mind, assuming that he'll always behind them every step of the way.

The boy just stood there as they left him behind. Farther and farther until they were just a speck against the backdrop of Beacon.

The boy looked down at his dress shoes again. His hands fiddled with his scarf. Alone again. In a crowd of passing faces. Not paying him a single glance. Busy with their own business.

The boy turned left and right. People. People. People. Smiling. Grinning. Cheering. Laughing. Happy.

While the boy was frowning from under his scarf. As people passed by.

His heart skipped a beat. It wasn't good. It dropped, it stung, it hurt. His chest caved in itself. His spine shuddered again. His frown wavered open. His eyes were beginning to black out.

He wasn't fainting, was he? From emotional trauma?

He was having trouble standing up. His legs were wobbling. Weakening.

It hurts. His mind repeated over and over, trying to dull the pain in his heart. Dull how he was so lost and alone. And there's no one that could help... Is there?

A green pants and black shoes. Someone's in front of him.

The boy tried to control his shaking, show that he's fine. Faking it, to avoid attention. He can't risk getting attention for something stupid like fainting over unrequited feelings and whiny self pity.

He blinked up to see him. A noble man in green. A silver cross necklace. Small black glasses. A cane too. But no coffee. Odd. He must really be here for something serious.

The man tilted his head curiously at the boy, judging him.

The boy tried to avoid meeting his eyes, taking a liking to the floor again.

Time passed, as school chatter went on and footsteps echoed. Is no one talking about why Ozpin is here?

The boy peeked up to see the man gesturing him to follow. He complied.

Who is he to disobey Ozpin?

* * *

It was a short elevator ride to his office.

The boy soon found himself to be sitting across from the man at his desk in his giant ticking office.

The man himself was looking at the boy with neutral eyes. Still judging? Still no coffee in his hand. Must be really important.

There was a long silence of gears ticking and tocking, a staring contest between the man and the boy.

Then, the man spoke, sitting straight on his chair.

The boy flinched in fear. Tears watered in his voice wavered. His nose sniffled. His whole body shook.

The man asked the boy to share his situation.

With hesitation, the boy shared his thoughts. His worries. His fears. His sorrows. His tragedy.

The man nodded as the boy had turned into a blubbering mess. He understands. Being a teenager is hard.

"Jaune." The man named.

The boy wiped his red stained eyes to look at the man.

"Things will get better. Time is a medicine all man will experience. Love is a tricky wound to heal. I understand that you at such a young age had misinterpreted many of your friends' signals. Anyone like you would think so. It's not the end of the world, Jaune." The man lectured with a flat frown, with his wisdom on his shoulder. "I can't make your situation any better. I cannot change your team. You must bear with it for the rest of your time here."

The boy meekly protested.

"I know it hurts, Jaune, but you must learn to cope. Learn how to adapt. How to live independently." The man preached wisely. "You're at a young age where love has no clear meaning. And even then, you still have many chances to find the person right for you. The best advice I have for you is, 'You have time.' Will you trust me on this?"

The boy stared at the man with a defeated frown. His tissues were soaked and on the floor. He knew his manners, but at the moment, he couldn't be bothered. The man understood.

"Jaune. Will you?" The man leaned in with a raised brow.

The boy nodded without difficulty, as though he knew that he must. His frown remained.

"Good. You may leave. You may have the day off. Just don't mention this to anyone. We wouldn't want anything to change too drastically now, would we?" The man inquired as he marked the boy as dismissed for the day on his computer.

The boy shook his head before standing up.

"You can leave the mess. Glynda will pick it up later." Ozpin muttered, then turned to Jaune. "Go to your dorm and rest. You had an emotional morning. You'll need time to pick yourself up, alright? You can leave it to me to send for you lunch and dinner. Just try to find a solution to cope for today. We can pick this up at a later time, Jaune. Can I trust you to come back?"

The boy nodded.

"Very good. You may leave. I'll see you soon enough, Jaune." The man sent the boy off with a somewhat dull but sympathetic tone.

The boy turned and left for the elevator.

The boy passed the woman as she came through the elevator and the doors closed between them.

The woman tilted her head in confusion and looked to see Ozpin at his desk on his computer with used tissue everywhere on the floor.

"What..?" The woman err'd.

"Perfect timing, Glynda. I'd wish to speak of Jaune Arc's current scheduling. Do you think we can weave him from being around a certain group of students less often?" Ozpin spoke up while his eyes were fixated on the screen.

"Um..." The woman rose her brow in uncertainty. It seems she's stumbled upon something she's not meant to.

* * *

The boy looked up from under the awning.

Rain. Along with a big, fluffy, grey sky. How calming.

There was no one around on the campus grounds. They must all be inside away from the rain.

A drop landed on his outstretched hand. The boy always loved the rain. It almost made him forget the empty feeling in his chest.

Almost.

Well... There's no point in standing around. He can just watch the rain from his bed. He needs time to think anyway.

Tightening his scarf, the boy stepped forward into the rain. Its calming sounds eased the boy's tangled mind if only a bit.

* * *

Graduation. It was uneventful. Especially since he wasn't there. Courtesy of Ozpin.

Ozpin had recommended that Jaune shouldn't go up to get the certificate. He even handed over Jaune his certificate in his office. He was very proud of Jaune.

Of course he would be. The boy had lasted the entire four years of silence and isolation without any trouble. He learned to cope and hide away his emotions.

Now the boy is a fully fledged Huntsman with a back-up plan as a doctor. And he doesn't look any different besides a longer scarf. Crocea Mors hung by his side.

Aside from his dead emotions, he's changed for the better. He's matured.

He looked up to the grey sky again. Raining on graduation day. The boy twitched a small grin. There's some kind of symbolism in this.

Everyone went their separate ways with the weekly night meet up. The boy didn't get invited in the end. They've completely forgotten him. Even Pyrrha, his own partner.

Well, how couldn't she? She has an important career in Mistral as Queen with the occasional cereal shoot.

Ruby and Blake went on their way to wipe out the White Fang and, every once in a while, a cookie shop, advocating equal rights for all.

Weiss became CEO of her family company, firm, strict, never compromising. Doesn't stop Yang from enjoying the high life in style, much to her wife's chagrin.

Neptune and Sun and their teammates, Sage and Scarlet, became a boy band, rivaling The Achieve Men. Some say harmless skirmishes were made between fans.

And from what he's heard, Team CFVY became mercenaries for odd reasons, with Coco being the high class clothes designer on the side. Velvet being the wife who watches her from keeling over at night.

And in the end, they've all forgotten little ol' Jaune. The quiet boy in the scarf.

Ah well. At least he has his family back home. He should get there soon. His mother and sisters will have a fit if he's late.

The boy looked back at Beacon. The place he's spent the last four years at. Learning. Persevering. Surviving. He felt a ting of pride under his empty chest.

Ozpin was right. Jaune has all the time in the world. He has a whole life to live and he shouldn't waste it a second longer.

Thanking Ozpin in his mind, the boy turned to walk away... before bumping into someone and slipping on the wet ground.

"Sorry!" A voice shrieked.

The frowning boy waved his hand in the air as he sat on the ground, showing that he's fine. He flinched when he felt his hand was gripped.

"Let's get you off the ground, alright?" The voice suggested nicely.

The boy looked up from his position and saw a girl his age looking down on him softly with a warm smile as she gripped his hand gently and holding up an umbrella. For the first time in four years, the cold, dark space in his chest flickered with light. The boy was helped up, right under the umbrella.

"Sorry about that." The girl tilted her head in embarrassment. "I can be a klutz sometimes."

The boy noticed that the girl was still holding on. His heart blazed with newly found life and his face flushed red.

The girl noticed his fluster and had an idea. "So... What's your name? Let's get out of this rain, yeah?" The girl politely asked as she pulled Jaune to the waiting air ship.

The boy didn't protest. In fact, for the first time in four years, his frown vanished and a smile took its place.

This girl was different, almost like she saw something in the boy that the others didn't.

The boy didn't care anymore. Ozpin was right. Time is on his side now.

The two enjoyed each other's warm company as the air ship flew out the harbor, towards the two's next destination.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Things will be better. Maybe not now. Maybe not later. But eventually, the down will come back up. Then back down and up again. It's just a matter of getting through the down.

Hello, everyone. I'm sorry for being such an idiot and leave you all waiting. Were you waiting for me? I don't know, but isn't it better if I didn't? Oh well. I got a story out, didn't I?

You know how they say a writer's work is influenced by events in their life? Well, guess what happened to me? I just... wanted to vent out all of my frustrations and this happened. Was it good? I hope so.

I feel much better now that I wrote it though. It was... an experience. An insight to the mind of destinyTail0. It's not much, but I hope it's entertaining.

I originally thought that this should have a downer ending, but TheWindWakersDream thought about this good ending. I like this one way better. It shows that things will improve over time, not all at once. You just have to work through it all until you found what you're looking for. Here, Jaune has found someone and he's happy now. And hey, if I can't find someone, then why shouldn't everyone else too? If I can't be happy, then I'll try to make everyone I know happy. Even if I'm terrible at it. =P

Again, big thanks to TheWindWakersDream for helping me edit this. And yes, he's still alive. He's just taking a break from this for a while. Life can be really taxing, you know?

What else is there to say really? I've learned to move on and adapt. That's what I've learned. Maybe this will help you. Maybe. Who knows?

I don't. Well, I guess I'll see you next time, guys. This is destinyTail0 signing off! Stay frosty!


End file.
